Databases have become the subject of significant recent interest, not only because of the increasing volume of data being stored and retrieved by computerized databases, but also by virtue of the data relationships which can be established during the storage and retrieval processes. Most of the interest in databases has concerned user demands for an improved ergonomic interface.
One aspect of improved ergonomics is the ability to convey information from a database in a meaningful way to a user. An early attempt at this type of processing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,326 to Shaw et al, entitled, Apparatus and Method for Synthesizing a Query for Accessing a Relational Database. The patent disclosed a method and apparatus for preparing a linear query to access a relational database and obtain information for display to a user in a linear, sequential report of alphanumeric information.
Structured Query Language (SQL), and in particular ANSI SQL, has become a preferred language media for communicating queries to relational databases. As a consequence, there presently exist thousands of relational databases and thousands of related queries directed to such databases. In view of the great investment of resources in such databases and queries, any new ergonomic interface to database should use and access such databases and queries.
With the growing prevalence of relational databases, communication networks and workstations, the training and experience of a representative system user has decreased in relation to the resources available. The dilemma created by these various events is threefold. First, there exists an established and valuable base of queries formulated with classical SQL expressions. Second, there is a growing usage of relational databases and networks accessing their information. The end users of such databases are routinely less proficient in the very tools needed to efficiently and accurately access the relational database information. Finally, users of database access methods do not receive direct feedback of changes based on their manipulation of the database. Thus, a distinct need exists for methods, systems and programs which convert query statements into visual representations understandable by novice database users, and, in the complement, which convert graphically or visually represented queries into SQL format statements usable in existing databases and network environments.
Thus, in recent years, a great deal of innovation in database management has been driven by user demands for improved ergonomic interfaces to the database through interactive displays.
A recent innovation to improve the ergonomic interface to a knowledge-base system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,013 to Dunn. The patent reveals an interactive, rule-based system which allows icons to be selectively tied to particular rule definitions. The stored rules are cross-referenced to the icon to which they pertain, so that whenever the icon is selected by a problem solving user for use in building a problem solution, the rules pertaining thereto are accessed and applied.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Icons in the Headings of Columnar Lists", March 1990 discloses another example of an ergonomic advance in user interfaces for databases. This TDB discusses a facility to allow icons to appear in the heading area of a columnar list. For example, fields such as security level can have a header that is an icon and looks like a lock. Another IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Iconic Fields", November 1989, discloses icons that can be selectively opened to reveal detailed information concerning the field and its contents. Then, when the user has adjusted the detailed information, the field can be deselected and returned to an icon.
Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/803,876, filed Dec. 9, 1991, and assigned to the assignee of the present application covers a system wherein the status of a database table is determined and graphically displayed as a table organized iconic representation of selected information for table columns and keys. A user can also select an icon to open a dialog box of detailed information relating to the particular column or key. The dialog box enables the user to directly view or manipulate particular aspects of the database. The table organized, iconic representation provides concise, visual information indicating the relationships between columns and keys and visually coaches a user to select the appropriate information to satisfy the user's requirements.
Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/803,875 filed Dec. 9, 1991 entitled "Iconic Representation for Table Columns", and assigned to the assignee of the present application discloses the employment of specialized icons to present to the user information stored in a database and to permit the user to manipulate such information via operations on the icon. Preferably the icons represent columns.
As the prior art indicates, icons have been used in connection with databases to access data in such databases and to manipulate the data. However, the use of icons to construct and reconstruct databases has been fairly limited. As will be described hereinafter, the present invention is directed to the user interactive display system wherein icons are used to construct or reconstruct databases.